Automatically-controlled circulating system for oils or other liquids



Jan. 20, 1931. E. w. H. RENNICK 1,

AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED CIRCULATING SYSTEM FOR OILS OR OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Sept. 15. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 20, 1931. E, w. H. RENNICK 1,789,841

AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED CIRCULATING SYSTEM OILS OR OTHER LIQUIDS Filed Sept. 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I M 8 18 25 y 17 A g 3 1 A $9 Z9 11 I 42: 15 Z1 5 2,0 i5 jfideizfim' Patented Jan. 20, 1931 e o-miss F T ewe-E imwnir w. a. ammrcitbr roar 'w'mm, ntmana, assfronon re s. r. nowsna a1 COMPANY, 1110., I'QR'I. WAYNE/INDIANA, 4 CORPORATION 01' INDIANA I Application fled September 15, 1937. Serial No. 219,785. I

. My invention relates in I neral to. an auto:

matically controlled circu atin oils and other li uids which 0 signed primarily or circulating cutting 011 b to and from a machine; a lathe, as one examgle which uses it when in operatum.

usually been supplied to lathes and other machines which use it, with a more or less constant feed up to the cut-off of the feed, ordinarily located at the nozzle end or discharge just over the machine. It so happens that the machinist frequently neglects to cut off the supply of cutting oil by turning the discharge valve at the nozzle end of the feed with the result that after the machine has been stopped and there is no need of the cut system for tin oil, 1t still continues to dro from the fee line and considerable oil' is t us wasted. Ihave devised a system which may be used to advantage for supplying this cutting 011 to machines with means in combination with the system for efiecting an automatic cut-ofi of the oil feed when the machine is stopped. In this way, I can effect not only a saving. of

the cutting oil but also prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the o erating parts of the system by discontinuing the operation thereof when the cutting oil is not required for the machine. x 1 v Thesalient features of the invention are exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawin in which I. have selected a ractical em odiment of the invention as an 1llustration. Insaid drawings: Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the system; 7

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the automatic control valve therefor showing the valvein closed position; and Fig.3 is a similar view ona smaller scale showing the valve 0 en.

Referring now to t e drawings in detail, 4 represents an oil filter which serves as a source of supply for the cutting oil. The cutting oil supplied to the machine which, according to the present illustration, is a lathe 5, 1S. pumped from the filter 4 by the 60 pump 6 driven by the motor 7 and forced as been-dc heretofore practiced, cutting oil has,

through then ressure feed comprising the pipe 8, throug' the automatic control valve 9 to the discharge end 10 of the pipe 11. The discharge'end 10 of the-feed termlnates above the lathe in a position which will deliver cuttm oil to the work piece operated on by the lat e. The oil, after serving its purpose, is

" 4 AuromrrcmY-obmnounn cracum'rme srs'rrm iron omsloa omma mourns collected and returned to the filter 4 for cleansing purposes through the return feed 'COIIIPIiSlIIg the pi e line 12. The oil will,

be pumped throug this return'line by the pump 13 driven by the motor 14. The ump passes the, oil under pressure through the pipe 15, through the valve 9, into the pipe 16, and then into the filter 4. After being filgereid, it is again returned through the supply The construction of the valve 9 is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and the same preferably comprises a cast housing17 having an inlet connection 18 on one side for the feed pipe 8 and an outlet connection 19 onthe other side for the pipe 11. The return pi e communicates with the valve housing Ey the inlet connection 20 and the pipe 16 com municates with the housing through the outlet connection 21. The valve is constructed to assume an upstanding position in the sysposed at the bottom of the recess. 24 is a reduction 25 in the internal diameter of the housing which snugly fits the end 26 of the valve. The valve, of course, is mounted for free reciprocating movement in the housing but the circumference of the end 26 has a ground fit with the restricted diameter .25. so as to close off the recess 24 and the space into which the intake 20 of the return communicates. Another cut-01f is provided between the .outlet connection 21 for the return and the inlet connection 20 by a restricted diameter 27 in the housing between the intake 20 and the outlet 21. The end 26 of the valve fits this restriction 27 with freedom of sliding movement. Above the recess 24 is a restriction 28 on the inside of the valve housing which fits the diameter 29 of the valve so as to provide a cut-off between the space 24 and the inlet Connection 18 To insure a positive cut-off at this point, the head 30 of the valve is made somewhat larger than the diameter of. the restriction 28 above the shallow recess 31 which is cut in the circumference 'of the valve to leave a shoulder which, when the valve is in closed position, will rest upon the top of the restriction 28, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Theintake 18 communicates with an irregular space 32 which extends around the head 30 of the valve, the irregularities and the space, for the most part, serving as a guide for the valve head and comprising a. cylinderlike wall 33. The valve head 30 is made with .an internal bore 34 which is occupied by the coil'spring 35, the spring being held under tension by the head 36 which is threaded into the top of the housing and has a shallow internal bore 37 which is occupied by the opposite end of the spring. Under the influence of the spring 35, the valve is normally seated, as shown in Fig. 2, to close the inlets and outlets which communicate with the housing thereof. When the valve is opened against the resistance of the spring 35, it will be moved into 'a position as shown in Fig. 3 and when in this position, the reduced diameter 23 of the valve will be moved above the restriction 28 so as to leave a passage 38 around the valve between the recess 32 and the recess 24. The cutting oil under pressure in the pipe 8 will then be forced through the valve into the pipe 11 where it will be supplied to the machine.

When the communication between the pipes 8 and 11 is open, the end 26 of the valve will be in a position out of contact with the restriction 27 in the housing which will establish a communication between the return pipes 15 and 16 through the space 39 so that oil may be supplied to the filter 4 from the machine 5 through the valve. As previously stated, when the valve is closed, the oil circulation to and from the machine is interrupted.

The valve is provided with a release port 40 which extends axially through the center thereof, a radial release port 41, and still another but restricted release port 42 in the axis of the end 26. The purpose of these release ports is to permit the air and any oil' on top of the valve to be forced down through the port 40 and out throughthe port 42.

The automatic features of the system reside in the construction of the valve 9 and its combination with the pressure return for the oil. The pump 13 develops this oil pressure and since the end 26 of the valve terminates over the intake 20, the pressure created will force the valve up against the resistance of maintained. \Vhen the pressure is inter rupted, the spring 35 will return the valve to its closed position, arresting the circulation of the oil through the valve.

In order to effect an automatic control for the pump, I prefer to place the operation of the same under the control of the machine 5, that is to say, the hook-up will be such as to start the pump 13 when the lathe 5 is started and to stop the pump 13 when the lathe 5 is stopped. In this. way, just as soon as the lathe is started, cutting oil will be delivered from the discharge end 10 of the feed and when the lathe stops, it will be cut off.

The pump 6 for the feed which is driven by the motor 7 need not be under the control of the lathe or other machine 5, so far as stopping and starting the same is concerned, although this possibility is contemplated. When the valve 9 is closed, it makes no difference whether the pump 6 is operating or not; in fact, it may be important to operate the same independently of the operation of the lathe or other machine 5 since it may be hooked up as a primary pump for several of plied, such as the filter 4,is located at a level where the oil will not gravitate through the valve 9. So far as the automatic features of the system is concerned, it will operate just as well with the gravity feed as a force feed. Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, and I wish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

I claim g 1. In a circulating system of the class described, a source of oil supply, means for feeding oil from said source of supply to a machine while the machine is operating, means for removing used oil from the machine, and valve mechanism operated by the pressure in said removing means for controlling the fiow of the oil to the machine and for automatically interrupting the feed when the machine stops. 2. In a circulating system of the class described, a source of oil supply, an oil feed from said supply source to a machine, means comprising a pressure line for returning used pressure in said pressure line for opening the from an oil filter to a machine while the ma 'machine to the oil iced while the machine is operating .to cut off .the feed when the machine stops;

3. A system .for circulating cutting oil chine is runnin and returning it from the ter, com rising anoil feed from the filter to'the mac ine, an oil return from the machine to the filter, and a valvev running.

5. In a circulatin system of the class described, a source 0 oil supply, an oil feed to a machine therefrom, a control valve for said oil feed having spring tension means closing the same when the machine is stopped, and means for automatically holding the valve open against the resistance of said spring tension means while the machine is running comprising a pressure feed which returns the 011 from the machine to the supply source through said valve.

6. In a circulating system of the class described, a source of oil supply, a pressure oil supply feed from said supply source to a machine, a pressure return feed for the oil from I the machine to said supply source, and a control valve/in said pressure supply feed having spring tension means closing the same when the machine is stopped.

7. In a circulating system of the class described, a source of oil supply, a pressure oil supply feed from said supply source to a machine, a pressure return feed for the oil from the machineto said supply source, and a control valvein said pressure supply feed having spring tension means closing the same when themachine is stopped, said pressure' return feed returning the oil through said valge to the supply source when the machine is runnin with the pressure of the oil holding the va ve open.

8. In asystem for circulatin lubricant, the combination with a filter, 0 means for feeding lubricant from said filterto amachine, means for returning used lubricant from the machine to the filter, interconnected valves one .for controlling the flow to themachineand the other for controlling the flow from the machine, one of said valves being subject to thepressure in the returning means to open both valves, and means for automatically closing both valves when the pressure in said returning means is relieved.

9. In a' system for circulating cutting oil from a filter'to uses the same when operating, the combina tion of a feed control valve through whlch the said iind item a machine' which oil circulates to and from the machine, and a pump operated when the machine is running or returning the oil under pressure from the machine to the filter, said valve being responsive to said oil pressure for o ening the feed to the machine, and a spring or closing the valve when the oil pressure return feed is interrupted.

10. An automatic control valve having an inlet and an outlet for .oil passing in one direction through the valve, an inlet and outlet for the oil passing through the valve in the opposite direction, and means for cutting ofi the flow of oil through the valve in both directions.

11. An automatic control vaive, comprising a housing, two sets of inlet and outlets therein, and a valve in said housing responsive to fluid pressure introduced at one of said inlets for opening all-of said inlets and outlets. J

12. An automatic control valve,'comprising a housing, two sets of inletand outlets therein, and a spring-closed valve in said housing responsive to fluid pressure introduced at one of said inlets for opening all of said inlets and outlets.

13. An automatic control valve comprising an inlet and outlet through which a liquid is passed from-a source of supply to a machine,

an inlet and outlet in the valve through which the liquid is returned from the machine under'pressure, and a plunger in said valve responsive to the pressure of the returning l1quid for opening all of said inlets and outlets.

14. An automatic control valve comprising an inlet and an outlet through. which a liquid is passed from a source of supply to a machine, an inlet and outlet in the valve through which the liquid is returned from-the machine under pressure, and a spring 'closed plunger in said valve responsive to the pressure of the returning liquid for opening all Of said inlets and outlets.

15. An automatic control valve comprising an inlet and outlet through which a liquid is passed from a source of supply to a machine, an inlet and outlet in the valve through which the liquid is returned from the 1 machine under pressure, and a spring-closed plunger in said valveresponsive to the pressure of the returning liquid for openin all of said inlets and outlets, said plunger av: ing a fit within the valve se arating each set of inlets and outlets and re ease ports in the plunger between each set of inlets and out.

an outlet and another passageway et, in-

sageways, one of said valves being subject to pressure of liquid flowing through the passageway controlled thereby to effect the opening of both valves, and means for closing both valves when such pressureis relieved.

17. A system for circulating lubricant from a source of supply to, a machine while the latter-"is operating and removing, used lubricant from'the machine, comprising means for feeding lubricant to the machine, means for removing used lubricant from the ma- I chine, and valve mechanism operated automatically by the pressure in the said removingmeans for controlling the feed of the lubricant to the machine.

18. A system for circulating lubricant from a source of supply to a machine while the latter is operating and removing used lubricant from the machine, comprising means for feeding lubricant to the machine, means for removing used lubricant from the machine, and valve mechanism operable'automatically by pressure in said removing means for controlling the flow to the machine and from the machine including the automatic cutting off of both of such flows when the pressure in the returning means isrelieved.

19. A" system for circulating lubricant from a source of supply to a machine while the latter is operating and removing used lubricant from the machine, comprising means for feeding lubricant to the machine, means for removing used lubricant from the machine, a valve opened by pressure in said removing means for controlling the flow from the machine, another valve connectedto said first-named valve to be opened when the latter is opened to control the flow to the machine, and means for closing both valves to cut oil the flow to and from the machine when such pressure is relieved. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 22d day of August, A. D. 1927 EDWIN W. H. RENNICK. 

